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Top things to do in Japan
Meet the local wildlife, see the much-celebrated cherry blossom season and join the monks for morning prayers. Don't miss out on the freshest of Japanese cuisine, get away from the busy cities and escape to the tranquil gardens and countryside which are sprinkled with traditional ryokans and onsen resorts for ultimate relaxation.
Here are the top things to do on a Japan holiday, as chosen by our Indian Subcontinent specialists.
Eat like a local
Experience flavours favoured by the locals with the popular Okonomiyaki the signature dish of Hiroshima. Literally meaning ‘to one’s liking’, Okonomiyaki is a popular pan fried food consisting of batter and cabbage and a selection of toppings, varying from meat and seafood to wasabi and cheese. Visiting the specialist restaurants is an experience in itself, with diners sitting around an open bar watching their food get prepared by the chef you will find a vast number of okonomiyaki restaurants across Hiroshima, particularly in Okonomi Mura, where every restaurant serves the city’s speciality.
Escape urban Japan
For more than 1000 years, garden design has been an important Japanese art form. From the abstract sculpture gardens in Hakone, to the breath taking Bamboo Groves of Arashiyama, there are a variety of styles across Japan. The Okochi Sanso Gardens in Kyoto are a particularly outstanding example of a traditional Japanese garden, with impressive architecture, a traditional Japanese villa, tearooms and Shinto shrines.
Meet the local wildlife
The forests of the Jigokudani valley in Yamanouchi are home to the Japanese Macaques, or snow monkeys. The monkeys are native to northern Japan, with brown-grey fur and red faces, with remarkably human like mannerisms. Often caught bathing in the man-made pool, the monkeys are particularly photogenic when the area is covered in snow.
Stay in a ryokan
No trip to Japan is complete without staying in a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn. Sample the local hospitality, sleep on futons on the tatami mat floor, experience hot spring baths and eat delicious local cuisine.
Join the monks for morning prayers
Travel to Mount Koya in Wakayama prefecture, one of the holiest mountains in Japan. There are more than 100 monasteries here surrounding the head temple. Stay overnight in the complex and rise early to avoid the crowds and see the monks at morning prayers.
See cherry blossom season
During cherry blossom season, locals gather below trees to celebrate the beautiful flowering of the trees. Everything turns pink, with themed chocolate, beer and clothing hitting the shops. There are even ‘sakura (blossom) forecasts’ with pink dots covering maps of Japan on the television and in the daily newspapers.
Bathe in an onsen
The Japanese Alps in the Nagano prefecture feature some of Japan's most dramatic scenery and picturesque rural villages. The area is also famous for its many onsen, or hot spring, resorts. The most celebrated of these is the Jigokudani onsen, or Hell’s Valley hot springs, in Yudanaka where wild snow monkeys gather to bathe in the natural hot pools.
